Technical Field
The teachings in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of this present disclosure generally relate to a lens actuator.
Background
Small-sized camera modules configured to photograph digital images and/or videos are recently being incorporated into a variety of host devices. The small-sized camera module includes an image sensor configured to generate a digital image corresponding to an outside light by receiving the outside light and a lens arranged at a front side of the image sensor, and a lens actuator configured to drive the lens.
The small camera module is added with an autofocus function configured to adjust a focus by adjusting a gap between a lens and an image sensor, whereby a high quality image can be obtained. However, the small camera modules largely used for portable devices are added with a hand-shake correction scheme compensating an image instability caused by camera shake, that is, vibration of a camera apparatus typically caused by user hand, in addition to auto-focusing automatically adjusting an image focus.
The conventional small camera module has suffered from disadvantages of complicated configuration, voluminous size and frequent generation of defects in the course of assembly due to inclusion of an autofocus unit including a magnet and a coil for performing the autofocus function and a hand-shake correction unit including a magnet and coils for performing hand-shake correction function by being arranged at an outside of the autofocus unit.
Furthermore, the conventional small camera module has also suffered from disadvantages of a large consumption of power due to realization of an autofocus function and a hand-shake correction function, each function using separate coils by an autofocus unit and a hand-shake correction unit.